


Do You Smell What I Smell ?

by dance_the_code



Series: Conference Wives [7]
Category: Numb3rs
Genre: F/F, F/M, Hearing Problems, M/M, Surgery for Small Child
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-05
Updated: 2008-02-02
Packaged: 2018-07-15 16:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 3,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7229155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dance_the_code/pseuds/dance_the_code
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Smith and Wesson diagnose a problem</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> –Conference Wives –Hear Me Arc

Title: Do You Smell What I Smell ?  
Pairing/Characters: Isaac, Smith and Wesson  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 130  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Smith and Wesson diagnose a problem  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma – who is always asking questions, putting ideas in my head and wanted more Smith and Wesson.  
Note: –Conference Wives –Hear Me Arc

Smith nudged Wesson.

Wesson yawned, stretched and looked over at his partner in crime.

Smith stood up and trundled over to their puppy.

Wesson followed, snuffling, his belly still hurt a little bit, who knew that those little things the poodle liked to write with weren’t as tasty as they looked?

Master seemed to like them, well, he had never seen Master eat them, but he had a lot of them in his pocket and what good were they if you couldn’t eat them?

Smith nuzzled the puppy’s left ear.

Isaac turned and smiled. “Hello Smiff.”

Wesson examined the situation.

Something didn’t smell right.

Wesson nuzzled the puppy’s left ear.

Isaac patted his head. “Hello Weapon.”

Wesson whined.

Something was wrong with the puppy.

Smith whined.

Isaac did not respond.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian notices a problem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives –Hear Me Arc

Title: Questions without answers  
Pairing/Characters: Isaac, Ian/Charlie Smith and Wesson  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 139  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Ian notices a problem  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma – who is always asking questions, putting ideas in my head and wanted more Smith and Wesson.  
Note: –Conference Wives –Hear Me Arc

“Isaac? Would you like to help me make a cake?” Ian turned from the cupboards to where Isaac was playing with Smith and Wesson beneath the kitchen table.

Isaac did not respond, seemingly intent on counting the strands of fur on each dog’s muzzle.

Ian watched Isaac for a long moment and then crouched down, peered beneath the table and asked his question again.

“Isaac? Would you like me to help me make a chocolate cake for Uncle Don?”

Isaac did not turn to face him, did not respond.

Charlie entered the kitchen. “Isaac? Are you in here?”

Isaac turned towards the door and then turned back around, scrambling into Ian’s boots as he attempted to get out from under the table, seemingly surprised that Ian was there.

“Merlin!” Isaac hugged Ian’s boots.

Ian scooped Isaac up and wondered.


	3. Communication with the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian and Charlie discuss a problem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives –Hear Me Arc

Title: Communication with the Past  
Pairing/Characters: Isaac, Ian/Charlie  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 208  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Ian and Charlie discuss a problem  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma  
Note: –Conference Wives –Hear Me Arc

Charlie sat at his desk flipping through Eva and Alexis’ manual on how to care for Isaac. There were pressed flowers that Isaac had picked in the backyard and given to one or the other, pictures drawn in playgroup and meticulous pages discussing Isaac’s doctor’s visits.

Notes from Eva to Alexis on camouflage printed post-it notes expressed concern about repeated earaches. Floral post-it notes responded that Eva was being an alarmist.

Charlie looked up from the book to where Ian stood in the doorway.

“You’re sure he wasn’t just really into what he was doing and not paying attention? When I was little, Don was always mad that I didn’t respond when he was calling me.”

“Charlie, I crouched down and looked beneath the table when I asked him a second time… he heard you but not me. He was surprised when he turned to get out from under the table and found my boots there.”

Charlie looked back down at the book. “Eva thought there was something wrong with his repeated ear aches, but Alexis’ notes say she was being paranoid…Eva was paranoid about a lot of things, but she was probably right. I think Isaac needs to see a doctor.”  
Ian nodded. “I’ll make the appointment.”


	4. Keeping Watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian and Charlie do not sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives –Hear Me Arc

Title: Keeping Watch  
Pairing/Characters: Isaac, Ian/Charlie, Smith and Wesson  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 48  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Ian and Charlie do not sleep  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma  
Note: –Conference Wives –Hear Me Arc

Charlie spent the night sitting in a chair in Isaac’s room, watching Isaac sleep.

Smith and Wesson laid on the rug in front of Charlie’s chair.

Ian stood watch in the doorway.

Four hearts ached with the possibility that something was wrong.

Isaac slept safe and warm, unconcerned.


	5. Diagnosis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie finds out what the problem is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives –Hear Me Arc

Title: Diagnosis  
Pairing/Characters: Isaac, Charlie  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 167  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Charlie finds out what the problem is  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma  
Note: –Conference Wives –Hear Me Arc

 

The doctor had listened carefully to Charlie’s concerns, looked at the charts and graphs created by the mathematician and then examined Isaac’s ears.

“Dr. Eppes, first I want you to take a deep breath and relax. I do not want to have you pass out.” Dr. Shafritz handed Isaac a lollypop.

Isaac giggled. Charlie did as he was told.

“Dr. Eppes, your son has a build up of fluid in his left ear canal. He will need to go to the hospital and have a tube inserted in his ear to drain the fluid. This will improve his hearing and assist in his speech development. This is a common problem, Isaac will need to stay at the hospital only one or two nights, you will be able to stay with him. He will be in the best of hands.”

Charlie took another deep breath, willing himself not to faint or burst into tears. “How can you be so sure?”

Dr. Shafritz smiled. “The surgeon is my wife.”


	6. Getting There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian finds out what the problem is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives –Hear Me Arc

Title: Getting There  
Pairing/Characters: Ian, Don  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 155  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Ian finds out what the problem is  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma  
Note: –Conference Wives –Hear Me Arc

 

Ian listened to Charlie’s phone message twice as he ran from the office to his car.

Don was quick on his heels. “Ian?”

“Isaac is being admitted to the hospital.”

Don slipped into the passenger seat, calling Megan to explain the situation as Ian drove.

Don shut his phone. “What happened?”

“Isaac has been having trouble hearing…”

“What? Why didn’t either of you tell me?”

“You and Cooper have been having enough problems.”

Don shook his head. “Cooper’s home now and we’re working it out… this is important…is it possible that he could be…”

“Going deaf? No, his left ear has a build up of fluid that needs to be drained…needs a tube inserted.” Ian parked the car in the hospital parking lot. “Call Cooper after you deal with the cop, okay?”

Don turned, wondering how he had missed the flashing lights in the back window of the speeding car and opened his badge wallet.


	7. Any Solution that Worked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cooper finds out something that Don doesn’t want Charlie to know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

Title: Any Solution that Worked  
Pairing/Characters: Ian, Cooper, Don, Charlie  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 181  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Cooper finds out something that Don doesn’t want Charlie to know  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma  
Note: –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

 

Ian sat restlessly in the waiting room with Don and Cooper.

Alan was on his way.

Charlie was still with Isaac, holding his son’s hand in the operating room.

Cooper flipped through Eva and Alexis’ manual.

“Huh.”

Don looked at him. “What?”

“I was looking for what the kid might want for a treat, besides maple syrup when this whole mess is over, but this is interesting.”

Ian raised an eyebrow. “Please enlighten me before I shoot you.”

“Eva took up smoking… apparently there’s some old homeopathic thing where they advised blowing cigarette smoke into kids’ ears to decrease ear aches…she was really worried about all this.”

Don looked at Cooper for a moment and then down at the book. “What’s on the other side of the page?”

Cooper flipped the page. “Some sort of treastise on why not to let Isaac help make applesauce.”

Don reached over and ripped out the page, crumpling it up and tossing it into the trash.

Cooper and Ian stared at him.

Don shook his head. “Not letting Charlie get any ideas that cause cancer.”


	8. Shoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waiting is the hardest part

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

Title: Shoe  
Pairing/Characters: Smith and Wesson  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 132  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Waiting is the hardest part  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma  
Note: –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

The house was quiet, too quiet really, but they were tired of howling and whining.

No one was listening anyway.

Smith snuffled the fichus, nothing interesting there.

Wesson flopped on the rug and sniffed under the couch.

Well… there was something, he crawled under the couch and flushed out one of the Master’s poodle’s shoes.

He munched on that for a while.

Smith ambled over and took it away.

Wesson growled. *My shoe, I found it*

Smith barked around the laces. *Mine now*

Wesson stood up, walked over and gripped the toe of the shoe in his mouth. *Mine, give it*

Smith stood his ground. *Nope*

After four minutes of fierce struggle, they each possessed a section of shoe and flopped to the rug to contentedly chew until something better came along.


	9. Naps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waiting is the hardest part

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

Title: Naps  
Pairing/Characters: Smith and Wesson  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 184  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Waiting is the hardest part  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma  
Note: –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

A well-chewed shoe only tastes so good for so long.

Smith and Wesson abandoned the remains of Charlie’s shoe where it lay spread across the rug and stared wistfully at the front door.

They knew the Poodle and their puppy were away, their Master was away.

No one to play with, nothing left to chew, nothing new and interesting to get into any where.

At times like these, the best option was always a nap.

Smith and Wesson trundled up the stairs.

Smith pushed the door open with his nose.

Wesson looked over his shoulder to make certain no one was lurking about and then both dogs ambled into the puppy’s room.

They pushed toys and books around the floor a little, getting a good nose full of the puppy’s scent and then hopped up onto the bed, pushing the blankets and pillows around and around until a comfortable nest was made.

Wesson plopped down first and Smith followed, resting his head on Wesson’s back.

He leaned over and licked Wesson’s ear.

Wesson licked his muzzle in return and the two drifted off to sleep.


	10. Check-in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian leaves the hospital for a short errand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

Title: Check-in  
Pairing/Characters: Ian, Don/Cooper, Alan  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 131  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Ian leaves the hospital for a short errand  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma  
Note: –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

 

Ian stood and stretched. “Does anyone need anything, I have to run to the house and check on the dogs. They’re well behaved but they can get into mischief when lonely.”  
  
Don shook his head. “If Charlie comes back out while you’re gone we’ll let him know you went to take care of the dogs.”

Cooper reached for his wallet. “Hey, SG – how about I give you some cash and you pick up some balloons for the kid, okay?”

Ian nodded. “No problem – do you need anything, Alan?”

Alan shook his head. “No, no, I’m fine. Thanks.”

Once Ian had left the corridor Alan turned to Don. “SG?”

Don shook his head. “Sniper God – Cooper gave him the nickname and Ian accepts it with grace.”

Cooper grinned. “Most of the time.”


	11. Check-in, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The door opens…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

Title: Check-in, Part 2  
Pairing/Characters: Smith and Wesson  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 113  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: The door opens…  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma  
Note: –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

Smith and Wesson slept peacefully, cuddled together.

A soft click met their ears and they were quickly alert.

The front door.

The Poodle had to be home and if the poodle was home, the puppy was home and if the puppy was home, then it was playtime and they would not have to be bored any more – they would go outside, the puppy would throw the ball, and they could all roll around in the grass.

Smith and Wesson made a dash for the front hall, almost tripping over themselves and the blankets in their excitement.

They rounded the corner and headed for the stairs, when their noses caught a different scent.

Cordite.


	12. Check-in, Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian leaves the hospital for a short errand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

Title: Check-in, Part 3  
Pairing/Characters: Ian, Smith and Wesson  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 298  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Ian leaves the hospital for a short errand  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma  
Note: –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

Ian unlocked the front door and surveyed the scene as Smith and Wesson scrambled down the stairs.

“Some one has been misbehaving.”

Smith and Wesson examined the floor for a moment, before looking up at their Master with innocent eyes.

“Don’t give me that look.”

They warbled their excuses.

“You know I don’t accept excuses – look at this mess…was that one of Charlie’s shoes?”

Smith and Wesson hung their heads a moment and then peered behind the Master to see if the puppy and the poodle were simply behind him.

“You miss Isaac, don’t you?” Ian crouched down and gave both dogs and good scratch behind the ears. “He’ll be home tomorrow. It’s okay.”

Ian let the dogs out and then cleaned up the remains of Charlie’s shoe.

He shook his head and added a new pair of converse sneakers to his shopping list.

He refilled food and water dishes and walked through the house to determine what other trouble the two hounds had possibly gotten into.

Isaac’s bedroom door was open.

Ian stepped inside.

Toys and books were pushed around.

He stooped and put each item back where it belonged on shelves or in the toy basket.

He stripped the bed and tossed the sheets and blankets in the hamper.

He put new sheets and new blankets on the bed, discovering 3.14159 tucked between the bed and the wall.

He set the bear aside to take to the hospital.

Once the room was back in order, he picked up 3.14159 and closed the door firmly.

He moved the hall table in front of it, creating enough of an obstacle to dissuade the dogs from entering a second time.

He walked back down the stairs as Smith and Wesson barked to be let in at the back door.


	13. Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian returns to the hospital after his errand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

Title: Back  
Pairing/Characters: Ian, Don/Cooper  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 161  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Ian returns to the hospital after his errand  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma  
Note: –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

The Sniper God strode through the halls of the children’s wing of the hospital fully aware of how utterly ridiculous and non-menacing he appeared.

He was in the company of a large bouquet of smiley-face balloons wearing rainbow clown wigs and sporting band-aids.

It was very difficult to look threatening with such companionship.

He quickly passed the balloons over to Cooper. “Here.”

“Perfect, SG – he’ll love them.”

Don shook his head. “How’s everything at the house?”

Ian grimaced. “I owe Charlie a pair of shoes, but other than that they had only decided that they wanted to nap on Isaac’s bed. I changed the sheets and blocked the door. I filled a chew toy for each of them with liverwurst, that should keep them occupied and out of trouble.” He settled into his chair and removed 3.14159 from his coat. “Has Charlie been back out yet?”

Don shook his head. “Not yet, Dad went to get some coffee from the cafeteria.”


	14. Holding Tight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac has surgery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

Title: Holding Tight  
Pairing/Characters: Charlie  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 156  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Isaac has surgery  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma  
Note: –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

Charlie was certain Isaac was handling this far better than he was.

Of course, Isaac was fast asleep, he had been in Charlie’s lap when the anesthesiologist went to work and now, he was blissfully unaware of everything and Charlie held his hand.

He wondered how Eva and Alexis would have handled this – only Eva would have been allowed in with Isaac, Alexis would have had to wait out in the waiting room, they probably would have called him – he would have waited with Alexis.

He wished Ian was in the room with him. There was probably some paperwork he needed to fill out for things like this, he would call Tony tomorrow.

“Dr. Eppes?” The nurse was speaking to him now, he looked up. “Yes?”

“It went great – we’re going to take Isaac up to his room now, if you want to let the rest of the family know?”

Charlie nodded, releasing Isaac’s hand, reluctantly.


	15. Messenger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie comes out to the waiting room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

Title: Messenger  
Pairing/Characters: Ian/Charlie, Don/Cooper, Alan  
Rating/Category: PG  
Word Count: 179  
Spoilers: None  
Summary: Charlie comes out to the waiting room  
Disclaimer – if you recognize it, its not mine.  
For Emma  
Note: –Conference Wives – Hear Me Arc

Alan settled in to his chair with a cup of coffee and a book of crossword puzzles.

Ian and Don were talking and Cooper appeared to be napping, a large bunch of balloons tied loosely to the arm of his chair.

He barely had a moment to look at the clues for the first puzzle when Charlie appeared in the room.

“Isaac’s out of surgery.”

Ian stood and collected Charlie. “Are you alright?”

Charlie nodded. “He’s fine, he’s going to be fine, he handled it very well…well, he was asleep, so I don’t think he could have handled it badly…you have 3.14159, good…I didn’t see him when I helped Isaac get ready to go to the doctor.”

Ian kissed the top of Charlie’s forehead. “He was tucked between the bed and the wall, I found him when I changed the sheets.”

Charlie nodded. “Isaac is being moved into a room and the nurse will let us know when we can come see him.”

Ian nodded. Don stood and joined the hug. “Its okay, Chuck.”

Charlie nodded. “Yeah, it is.”


End file.
